Posts copied from my other personal site. This will get you up-to-date.
Originally posted on 12-1-2003 and titled Dealing with Illness in an Animal Companion
For the past four weeks my husband and I have been faced with an illness with one of our four cats, our oldest male. It came on quite suddenly it seemed. Other than being overweight at 18 pounds, our orange tabby, Willie, was a happy cat with a healthy appetite. Then we noticed him walking with a wobbly gait, like how a moderately drunk person wobbles. I scheduled an appointment with the vet the week after we noticed the strange walk.
On November 5th, I took in both of our male cats, our other male needing his yearly checkup and a booster shot. The doctor examined Willie's pupil reaction, examined his ears, and listened to his heartbeat. Although his temperature was a little high, nothing in the examinations indicating any problems -- all were normal.
The doctor cautioned me that this would be a process of elimination, since there are several causes for Willie's condition. An inner ear inflammation would be the most obvious answer. Nevertheless, the doctor prescribed some prednisone in case Willie did have a deep inner ear inflammation causing his imbalance. This was to be taken for two weeks. Two weeks later, I called the doctor to tell him that Willie's condition was no better nor any worse. If he did have an infection or inflammation, the prednisone would have done something positive.
I took Willie in to see the doctor again on the 24th. This time the doctor wanted to do a blood workup and urinalysis after fasting. The initial blood workup showed a slightly elevated glucose level which meant a sign of an onset of diabetes. That would be an expected finding since Willie had been overweight for such a long time. However, he had lost a lot of weight since his yearly exam earlier this year. So they kept Willie overnight so that they could draw blood again and urine in the morning.
The next day I called to find out the results. The doctor had a busy appointment schedule and would return my call. I waited and waited. In the meantime, I went to the gym for my regular appointment with my personal trainer. I was worried already. The doctor called in the early evening and had me come in to pick up Willie and discuss the test results.
Although the results showed he had some elevated glucose and white blood counts, they weren't so severe enough to be a concern nor showed cause for his balance problems. This time the doctor prescribed Valium and some liquid vitamins. The Valium, in a very tiny dose, was to help increase Willie's appetite. Since we were going out of town for Thanksgiving, I couldn't start dosing him until we returned on Friday the 28th.
So over the weekend, he got his new meds. He wasn't getting any better. In fact, he seemed worse than before. Last night in bed I cried after I turned off the bedside lamp.
As instructed, I called the vet's today to update the doctor on Willie's condition. I ended up getting an appointment.
Today, the doctor more thoroughly checked Willie's spine by gently pressing along his back and rib cage. He then ordered lateral x-rays of his spinal column. The x-rays showed an anomaly in two places: near the base of the spine and at the lower rib cage. The most obvious is at the base where there is calcification -- an old injury to the disc where the body formed a bridge to heal that part of the spine. The other spot at the rib cage showed up cloudy. The doctor said it may be the beginnings of the body healing an injury there.
I only recall one incident where Willie had taken a fall. He was trying to jump from a file cabinet to a cushioned surface when he missed the surface and ended on the floor. He may have hit his back then. I can't remember how long ago that happened. If it was many months or a year ago, that could have been when his spinal injury occurred. That would explain the calcification since it takes awhile for that to happen. But if it happened only a couple of months ago, the calcification would have been an existing condition and the fall only aggravated the injury. Why it presented itself only now is a mystery, because my husband and I never noticed any problems before.
Now, the doctor will be sending the x-rays to a surgeon to get a second opinion. We may be facing spinal surgery. Or we may be facing an appointment with a neurologist. Willie may end up being paralyzed for good if no solutions are found.
So in the meantime, a new prescription, this time for reducing inflammation, is added to the other meds Willie is getting. The new med also increases his appetite and will increase his thirst. Fortunately the pill can be added to his food also.
I am afraid for Willie's future. He's my first male cat and still my "baby." I wanted him to live a long, long time. This was not something I expected nor was prepared to face.
Originally posted on 1-19-2004 and titled Willie Update
Dang! I was going to start off the year good by posting more often, but it looks like it won't turn out that way. *sigh* I've started the year off being busy as heck because I put myself there. I decided to re-do the graphics on most of my sites and/ or re-do some page layouts. So besides worrying about Willie, I'm doing the web site thing.
Last Monday Willie and I went to a veterinary specialist in internal medicine up the road from us. I had to leave him there all afternoon while they ran a couple of tests -- they did another x-ray and an ultrasound. The tests were to try to find any tumor. Nothing. So the next step for us is to see a neurologist for an MRI and spinal tap.
The neurologist they recommended is in the Sacramento area -- a two-plus hours drive from home. My parents live in the area, so I asked them over the weekend if I could stay overnight. Willie's appointment is in the early afternoon on Wednesday. I couldn't take a morning appointment, because I don't relish getting up so darned early to get there. Besides, at this time of the year the morning tule fog is a hazard to driving.
So tomorrow I need to get everything ready for taking him there. I'm wondering what things I need to bring besides his carrier, food, and meds. I'll probably have to do some shopping. I think I need a harness for cats. I couldn't find a wetness-absorbing liner for his carrier when I visited the pet store last week. I may have to try another pet supply store. I'll probably tote along his snuggly bed which he isn't using right now. He prefers sleeping on the sofa nowadays. I'm not sure what to do about a litter box. Should I bring one? So much to think about!
Willie hasn't been outside the house except for vet visits since he was a kitten. This trip is going to be very interesting and maybe melodic on his part. I hope the vets find something that explains why he's not walking right. I just want to know what's wrong with him. But surgical intervention is the last resort. He seems to be functioning fine despite his "funny" walk.
I need to give him a hug now, so till the next time I decide to post...
Originally posted 1-26-2004 and titled Willie Update Part 2
Last Wednesday I drove Willie up to see the veterinary neurologist. As I expected Willie and I had numerous "conversations" over the course of the two-and-one-half hour drive there. He really didn't like being stuck in a carrier, but I didn't want him wandering around the car either. We hit heavy fog for about five miles of the route. Although I printed out a map and directions to the clinic, I ended up missing my turn and had to do two (!) u-turns. Talk about frustrating. We got there 10 minutes before his appointment time.
In the lobby of the building was an orange tabby making itself at home. I had to fill out a form and wait until we were called into an exam room. I let Willie watch the other cat from the safety of his carrier. He wasn't talking too much then. A technician, a very friendly young woman, finally called us in to a room. She took his temperature and tried to listen to his heartbeat. She laughed because it was hard to hear above his constant purring. After she left I sat down on the bench in the room, cuddled Willie in my arms -- him with his belly up -- and talked to him.
The doctor came in a short while later. We chatted as he examined Willie further. In particular, he was testing his eye pupil response and his leg/ paw response to touch. Apparently those are little tests of his neurological condition. Then he watched as Willie walked around. There were some things he saw that I missed -- the tilt of Willie's head and the size and tilt of his pupils. He went out and brought back in the estimates of the charges for the MRI and spinal tap. I hate to tell you what the costs were. But having talked to the doctor at the previous clinic near home, I knew the range to expect.
I tried to call my husband to confer with him, but I ended up making a unilateral decision to go ahead with the tests when he didn't answer the phone. So the doctor took away my baby and I paid for part of the cost of the tests. The actual tests wouldn't be until around 6 p.m., so I went over to my parents' house to unpack and maybe take a nap. I had only four hours of sleep the night before and I was so tired.
After chatting with my folks for a little bit and giving them a cute calendar of Shih Tzu dogs and puppies, I took a short nap. I was too anxious to get in a really good nap though. Around 8:30 in the evening the doctor called with preliminary results of the MRI. He saw a large cyst near Willie's brain stem and the lower cerebellum. Apparently the cyst pressing against the brain and stem was causing Willie's walking problem. They also went ahead and did the spinal tap to assure that there were no bacterial or viral infections contributing to Willie's problem. There weren't. He told me I could pick Willie up around 9.
My dad drove us to the clinic which was crowded, surprisingly. The building houses another veterinary business which is open 24 hours for emergency cases, so there were clients of that business there as well. We waited what seemed like for 20 minutes. The same technician who helped us earlier in the day came out and took the balance of the costs. It was smaller than I expected so that was good. They brought Willie out in his carrier and he was meowing about something. No doubt he was complaining about how dizzy he felt. The anesthesia was still affecting him. I was so glad to see him!
After we got back to my parents' house, I let Willie out in the bedroom. He really didn't want to be stuck in a room again. But he was foundering around. I decided to call it a night and went to bed early. I tucked Willie into a blanket on the bed and lay on the edge so that he wouldn't fall off during the night. I slept well for the most part, although he woke me up when he moved around. I can't do catnaps as well as he does.
The next day I gave him his meds and some food. He went potty in the disposable litter pan I bought. Then we went out to the family room. My parents' dog was delighted to see a new playmate, albeit one that walked funny. Willie explored the living room, family room, and kitchen. But before long it was time for us to go home. After I took a shower I got everything ready to go. I re-packed the car with all the stuff I brought and put Willie back in the carrier. My mom softened the floor of his carrier with an old blue towel. (I had old raggedy dish towels in there.) Willie got in the car last. I called up the hubby to let him know we were leaving.
The drive home was uneventful. Willie even slept the whole time. No conversations until we neared home. Then we started talking again. He was glad to be back home and so was I.
Today I called up the doctor for the final results of the tests since no one had called me as I expected last week. The doctor reiterated what he said from the preliminary and gave me treatment options. We're going to go the medication route. If that doesn't improve Willie's condition, then I think we'll do surgery. In two weeks we'll know what to do next.
Originally part of a posting on 2-13-2004
Took Willie to the vet's yesterday because he seemed to be straining and crying when he used the litter box. Turns out what I thought may be a urinary tract problem was impacted stool. So the poor cat got an enema and more meds. My poor sweetie! I need to schedule his surgery with the neurologist soon. The med course is helping a little with his walking. I guess I need to discuss this with the neurologist. Maybe keeping him on meds a little longer will show more improvement. I don't know. *sigh* I just want him to be able to walk normally and be off all of the medication.
Time to give him a hug and a kiss.
Originally posted on 12-1-2003 and titled Dealing with Illness in an Animal Companion
For the past four weeks my husband and I have been faced with an illness with one of our four cats, our oldest male. It came on quite suddenly it seemed. Other than being overweight at 18 pounds, our orange tabby, Willie, was a happy cat with a healthy appetite. Then we noticed him walking with a wobbly gait, like how a moderately drunk person wobbles. I scheduled an appointment with the vet the week after we noticed the strange walk.
On November 5th, I took in both of our male cats, our other male needing his yearly checkup and a booster shot. The doctor examined Willie's pupil reaction, examined his ears, and listened to his heartbeat. Although his temperature was a little high, nothing in the examinations indicating any problems -- all were normal.
The doctor cautioned me that this would be a process of elimination, since there are several causes for Willie's condition. An inner ear inflammation would be the most obvious answer. Nevertheless, the doctor prescribed some prednisone in case Willie did have a deep inner ear inflammation causing his imbalance. This was to be taken for two weeks. Two weeks later, I called the doctor to tell him that Willie's condition was no better nor any worse. If he did have an infection or inflammation, the prednisone would have done something positive.
I took Willie in to see the doctor again on the 24th. This time the doctor wanted to do a blood workup and urinalysis after fasting. The initial blood workup showed a slightly elevated glucose level which meant a sign of an onset of diabetes. That would be an expected finding since Willie had been overweight for such a long time. However, he had lost a lot of weight since his yearly exam earlier this year. So they kept Willie overnight so that they could draw blood again and urine in the morning.
The next day I called to find out the results. The doctor had a busy appointment schedule and would return my call. I waited and waited. In the meantime, I went to the gym for my regular appointment with my personal trainer. I was worried already. The doctor called in the early evening and had me come in to pick up Willie and discuss the test results.
Although the results showed he had some elevated glucose and white blood counts, they weren't so severe enough to be a concern nor showed cause for his balance problems. This time the doctor prescribed Valium and some liquid vitamins. The Valium, in a very tiny dose, was to help increase Willie's appetite. Since we were going out of town for Thanksgiving, I couldn't start dosing him until we returned on Friday the 28th.
So over the weekend, he got his new meds. He wasn't getting any better. In fact, he seemed worse than before. Last night in bed I cried after I turned off the bedside lamp.
As instructed, I called the vet's today to update the doctor on Willie's condition. I ended up getting an appointment.
Today, the doctor more thoroughly checked Willie's spine by gently pressing along his back and rib cage. He then ordered lateral x-rays of his spinal column. The x-rays showed an anomaly in two places: near the base of the spine and at the lower rib cage. The most obvious is at the base where there is calcification -- an old injury to the disc where the body formed a bridge to heal that part of the spine. The other spot at the rib cage showed up cloudy. The doctor said it may be the beginnings of the body healing an injury there.
I only recall one incident where Willie had taken a fall. He was trying to jump from a file cabinet to a cushioned surface when he missed the surface and ended on the floor. He may have hit his back then. I can't remember how long ago that happened. If it was many months or a year ago, that could have been when his spinal injury occurred. That would explain the calcification since it takes awhile for that to happen. But if it happened only a couple of months ago, the calcification would have been an existing condition and the fall only aggravated the injury. Why it presented itself only now is a mystery, because my husband and I never noticed any problems before.
Now, the doctor will be sending the x-rays to a surgeon to get a second opinion. We may be facing spinal surgery. Or we may be facing an appointment with a neurologist. Willie may end up being paralyzed for good if no solutions are found.
So in the meantime, a new prescription, this time for reducing inflammation, is added to the other meds Willie is getting. The new med also increases his appetite and will increase his thirst. Fortunately the pill can be added to his food also.
I am afraid for Willie's future. He's my first male cat and still my "baby." I wanted him to live a long, long time. This was not something I expected nor was prepared to face.
Originally posted on 1-19-2004 and titled Willie Update
Dang! I was going to start off the year good by posting more often, but it looks like it won't turn out that way. *sigh* I've started the year off being busy as heck because I put myself there. I decided to re-do the graphics on most of my sites and/ or re-do some page layouts. So besides worrying about Willie, I'm doing the web site thing.
Last Monday Willie and I went to a veterinary specialist in internal medicine up the road from us. I had to leave him there all afternoon while they ran a couple of tests -- they did another x-ray and an ultrasound. The tests were to try to find any tumor. Nothing. So the next step for us is to see a neurologist for an MRI and spinal tap.
The neurologist they recommended is in the Sacramento area -- a two-plus hours drive from home. My parents live in the area, so I asked them over the weekend if I could stay overnight. Willie's appointment is in the early afternoon on Wednesday. I couldn't take a morning appointment, because I don't relish getting up so darned early to get there. Besides, at this time of the year the morning tule fog is a hazard to driving.
So tomorrow I need to get everything ready for taking him there. I'm wondering what things I need to bring besides his carrier, food, and meds. I'll probably have to do some shopping. I think I need a harness for cats. I couldn't find a wetness-absorbing liner for his carrier when I visited the pet store last week. I may have to try another pet supply store. I'll probably tote along his snuggly bed which he isn't using right now. He prefers sleeping on the sofa nowadays. I'm not sure what to do about a litter box. Should I bring one? So much to think about!
Willie hasn't been outside the house except for vet visits since he was a kitten. This trip is going to be very interesting and maybe melodic on his part. I hope the vets find something that explains why he's not walking right. I just want to know what's wrong with him. But surgical intervention is the last resort. He seems to be functioning fine despite his "funny" walk.
I need to give him a hug now, so till the next time I decide to post...
Originally posted 1-26-2004 and titled Willie Update Part 2
Last Wednesday I drove Willie up to see the veterinary neurologist. As I expected Willie and I had numerous "conversations" over the course of the two-and-one-half hour drive there. He really didn't like being stuck in a carrier, but I didn't want him wandering around the car either. We hit heavy fog for about five miles of the route. Although I printed out a map and directions to the clinic, I ended up missing my turn and had to do two (!) u-turns. Talk about frustrating. We got there 10 minutes before his appointment time.
In the lobby of the building was an orange tabby making itself at home. I had to fill out a form and wait until we were called into an exam room. I let Willie watch the other cat from the safety of his carrier. He wasn't talking too much then. A technician, a very friendly young woman, finally called us in to a room. She took his temperature and tried to listen to his heartbeat. She laughed because it was hard to hear above his constant purring. After she left I sat down on the bench in the room, cuddled Willie in my arms -- him with his belly up -- and talked to him.
The doctor came in a short while later. We chatted as he examined Willie further. In particular, he was testing his eye pupil response and his leg/ paw response to touch. Apparently those are little tests of his neurological condition. Then he watched as Willie walked around. There were some things he saw that I missed -- the tilt of Willie's head and the size and tilt of his pupils. He went out and brought back in the estimates of the charges for the MRI and spinal tap. I hate to tell you what the costs were. But having talked to the doctor at the previous clinic near home, I knew the range to expect.
I tried to call my husband to confer with him, but I ended up making a unilateral decision to go ahead with the tests when he didn't answer the phone. So the doctor took away my baby and I paid for part of the cost of the tests. The actual tests wouldn't be until around 6 p.m., so I went over to my parents' house to unpack and maybe take a nap. I had only four hours of sleep the night before and I was so tired.
After chatting with my folks for a little bit and giving them a cute calendar of Shih Tzu dogs and puppies, I took a short nap. I was too anxious to get in a really good nap though. Around 8:30 in the evening the doctor called with preliminary results of the MRI. He saw a large cyst near Willie's brain stem and the lower cerebellum. Apparently the cyst pressing against the brain and stem was causing Willie's walking problem. They also went ahead and did the spinal tap to assure that there were no bacterial or viral infections contributing to Willie's problem. There weren't. He told me I could pick Willie up around 9.
My dad drove us to the clinic which was crowded, surprisingly. The building houses another veterinary business which is open 24 hours for emergency cases, so there were clients of that business there as well. We waited what seemed like for 20 minutes. The same technician who helped us earlier in the day came out and took the balance of the costs. It was smaller than I expected so that was good. They brought Willie out in his carrier and he was meowing about something. No doubt he was complaining about how dizzy he felt. The anesthesia was still affecting him. I was so glad to see him!
After we got back to my parents' house, I let Willie out in the bedroom. He really didn't want to be stuck in a room again. But he was foundering around. I decided to call it a night and went to bed early. I tucked Willie into a blanket on the bed and lay on the edge so that he wouldn't fall off during the night. I slept well for the most part, although he woke me up when he moved around. I can't do catnaps as well as he does.
The next day I gave him his meds and some food. He went potty in the disposable litter pan I bought. Then we went out to the family room. My parents' dog was delighted to see a new playmate, albeit one that walked funny. Willie explored the living room, family room, and kitchen. But before long it was time for us to go home. After I took a shower I got everything ready to go. I re-packed the car with all the stuff I brought and put Willie back in the carrier. My mom softened the floor of his carrier with an old blue towel. (I had old raggedy dish towels in there.) Willie got in the car last. I called up the hubby to let him know we were leaving.
The drive home was uneventful. Willie even slept the whole time. No conversations until we neared home. Then we started talking again. He was glad to be back home and so was I.
Today I called up the doctor for the final results of the tests since no one had called me as I expected last week. The doctor reiterated what he said from the preliminary and gave me treatment options. We're going to go the medication route. If that doesn't improve Willie's condition, then I think we'll do surgery. In two weeks we'll know what to do next.
Originally part of a posting on 2-13-2004
Took Willie to the vet's yesterday because he seemed to be straining and crying when he used the litter box. Turns out what I thought may be a urinary tract problem was impacted stool. So the poor cat got an enema and more meds. My poor sweetie! I need to schedule his surgery with the neurologist soon. The med course is helping a little with his walking. I guess I need to discuss this with the neurologist. Maybe keeping him on meds a little longer will show more improvement. I don't know. *sigh* I just want him to be able to walk normally and be off all of the medication.
Time to give him a hug and a kiss.
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